A complete guide to area rug shapes, sizes and how to style them in your home.
An area rug can instantly transform the design of a room and bring a sense of comfort to a hard surface floor. But with so many rug shapes, sizes, materials, and designs available, choosing one for your home can be overwhelming. Fear not! We’ve compiled a complete guide to area rug shapes, including rules to determine what kind of rug shape is the best choice for your home.
What is an area rug?
An area rug is any type of rug that is smaller than the dimensions of the room it occupies. Unlike carpet, which has wall-to-wall coverage, an area rug only partially covers the floor. Area rugs are also not fixed to the floor like carpet, so you can move them around as your decorating needs change. On top of carpeted floors, they provide extra cushion.
Amara Wool Rug Collection in Beach.
Where to use area rugs
The great thing about area rugs is that you can use them in almost every room of the house. Some of the most popular places they are used are in living rooms and bedrooms – especially when there are hardwood floors. Area rugs provide comfort and warmth to cold, bare floors. However, these style rugs can also work in your entry foyer, hallways, dining room, and even your bathroom spaces.
Rug shapes and sizes
There are just as many area rug shapes as there are places in the home where you can use them. However, each rug shape has the capacity to impact your decor in a different way. Here is a full list of area rug shapes and sizes to help guide you toward the right one.
Rectangle rugs
Rectangular rug shapes are the most common because they work in practically every room. They come in a wide range of sizes, from a typical 2 by 3 foot door mat to a large 8 by 11 foot area rug.
Square rugs
Less common than rectangular rugs, square-shaped rugs are often placed to accent furniture, such as under an end table.
Round and oval vugs
Round and oval area rug shapes are used in interior design to make a room feel intimate and group furniture together. Round rugs are typically found with diameters measuring 4, 6, 8 or 10 feet. These rug shapes are a perfect pair with circular or oval dining room tables.
Semi-circle rugs
Also called half-moon rugs, the semi-circle rug shape is most common for door mats.
Irregular rugs
Think octagon, hexagon, or pentagon rug shapes. These traditional area rug shapes aren’t as common in modern design, but they’re traditionally used in entryways or small, intimate spaces, such as kids' rooms.
Runner rugs
Runners have a long and skinny rug shape and are primarily used to line hallways or cover stairs. Standard runner widths are 24 and 28 inches, but custom sizes are available.
Puma Wool Rug Collection in Earth.
Which area rug shapes go with each room
While you are free to decorate your home to your heart's desire, there are some rug shapes that work better than others depending on the space. Here’s a quick run down to help inspire you as you begin to style your spaces with rugs.
Rectangular rug shapes
This is probably the most common area rug shape you will find on the market. It can work in almost every room in your house; you’ll just want to adjust the sizing to fit within the dimensions of each room. Even in a smaller bathroom, a rectangular area rug can work wonders.
Sun Sisal Rug Collection in Sunbeam.
Square rug shapes
As mentioned before, a square rug is often used to highlight certain aspects of a room. They work incredibly in living rooms, both under and next to furniture or tables. They can also work in a bedroom for the same reasons.
Round and oval rug shapes
When rug shapes don’t have hard edges, they often present a sense of softness and togetherness in a room. Round and oval area rug shapes add to the convivial nature of a dining room as well as the welcoming feel of an entry foyer. Smaller round and oval rugs also lend a lovely accent to any living room, be it under a table or in front of a fireplace.
Semi-circle rug shapes
One side flat, one side round, these half-moon-shaped rugs nestle in wonderfully under an entryway door. Be it indoor or outdoor, these area rugs are a creative way to welcome guests to your home.
Irregular rug shapes
Octagon, hexagon, or pentagon rug shapes are not commonly used in large spaces. Instead, they work well in smaller spaces like a kid's room. The different style shapes also add to the playfulness of a room or even a smaller foyer.
Runner rug shapes
Narrower and longer than regular rectangular rugs, they are perfect for uncarpeted stairs and hallways. They provide extra grip and foot support to those high-traffic areas.
Tassel Stripe Wool Rug Collection in Tuxedo.
General sizing and placement rules for each room
Choosing the right size for your rug, in most cases, depends on the room size. You should always measure the space before ordering a rug, but here are a few rules of thumb to consider:
Living room
To unify the furniture in the room, get an area rug large enough to place all the furniture on top of the rug. To draw attention to the center of the room or to show off the rug as a focal point, keep furniture off the rug and instead use it to frame the rug.
Tattersdale Wool Rug Collection in Heathery Grey.
Dining room
Allow at least 18 to 24 inches of extra room on all sides of the dining table so chairs will remain on the rug when pulled out.
Bedroom
There are two main techniques for rug placement in bedrooms. Either use one large rug underneath the entire bed, with about 2 ft. excess on each side and 4 ft. at the end of the bed, or place multiple smaller rugs around the sides.
Camila Wool Rug Collection in Denim.
Hallway
Cover at least 75% of the hallway’s length and leave a couple inches of floor uncovered on each side
Have fun decorating with different area rug shapes
With a better sense of rug sizes and different rug shapes, you can find one that suits your needs. Custom shapes and sizes are also available at Sisal Rugs if one of the standard sizes isn’t quite right.
